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Giants stay alive as Redskins fall into irrelevance

LANDOVER, Md. -- For one half, Robert Griffin III and his reeling Washington Redskins rediscovered their lost swagger. The problem? After finally starting hot for the first time all season, they couldn't

LANDOVER, Md. — A night that began with such promise ended in the quiet sadness of a Washington Redskins locker room where an air of season-ending finality hung heavy.

A half hour earlier, the New York Giants had found a way to rally from a two-touchdown deficit for a 24-17 victory that kept their faint playoff hopes alive while officially eliminating the 3-9 Redskins.

On the first night of December, the Redskins lost their fourth consecutive game, falling into utter irrelevance.

There are four more games to play, but the only thing they count for now is as a test of their pride.

"It hurts. It sucks. What do you want me to say?" said linebacker Brian Orakpo, who had two sacks. "To find another way to lose is disappointing.

"We had our opportunities. It's just very frustrating. We just can't finish."

Because they couldn't, they are finished.

"The biggest thing is all those guys are out there fighting hard," quarterback Robert Griffin III said after passing for 207 yards and rushing for 88 more. "That's all I can ask for.

"We're sitting here — our record is 3-9 now — and I just think we're too good to be a 10-loss football team. You know people will look at it and say, 'That's what we are' and think that guys are going to quit.

"But like I told them after the game, I'll go to war with any of them."

Down the hallway of FedEx Field, the 5-7 Giants, who have won five of their last six games after an awful 0-6 start, spoke of still having a playoff pulse as they trail the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys by two games.

"I am most proud of the way we hung in there," coach Tom Coughlin said. "(Defensive end) Justin Tuck with four sacks and (linebacker) Jon Beason had 17 tackles.

"There were a lot of outstanding contributors and it was a beautiful night for football. I am just glad we could hang in there and get the win."

The Redskins began the night with urgency. Griffin came out smoking, hitting his first 12 passes for 111 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown to tight end Logan Paulsen that put them up 14-0.

But the Giants caught fire and scored 24 of the game's final 27 points. First, tailback Andre Brown raced 23 yards into the end zone. Then, Eli Manning found tight end Brandon Myers for a 22-yard score that tied things 14-all at halftime.

After Kai Forbath's 33-yard field goal, Brown scored from 1 yard out and Josh Brown hit a 39-yard field goal.

The Redskins? They were undone by three second-half drops, going 1-for-8 on third down in the second half and a sense of confusion from a controversial sequence on the Redskins' final series that caused a change in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's play-calling.

On second-and-5 from the Washington 41-yard line, Griffin hit Pierre Garcon for 4 yards. The Redskins thought they had the first down. But on what turned out to be third-and-1, Shanahan dialed up a deep shot down the middle that tight end Fred Davis couldn't catch. Then, on fourth-and-1, Garcon was stripped of the football and safety Will Hill recovered.

Game over.

"All I know is we had the pass to Fred, we thought that was first down and the chains (yardmarker) said first down," RG3 said. "Then, when we came back, we think it's second-and-10 and they (the officials) are yelling out, 'It's fourth down.'

"No explanation. No measurement — didn't stop the clock to allow the chains to move back."

As Referee Jeff Triplette explained to a pool reporter, "We signaled third down on the field. The stakes were moved incorrectly."

Bottom line? Griffin was 16-of-17 for 149 yards passing with a touchdown in the first half and 8-of-15 for 58 yards thereafter.

The effort was there and players insisted it will remain that way. But the possibility exists that if the Redskins finish 3-13 or 4-12, coach Mike Shanahan and his staff could pay the price for such an unexpected freefall coming off last season's NFC East divisional title.

"It's a job. I can't quit," receiver Santana Moss said. "I wouldn't quit if I was allowed to quit. We know every week is going to be a different challenge. And if you're here, you're here because you know it isn't always going to be peaches and cream."

He paused, then added, "The ones that quit are no longer here. So you have to put this behind you no matter how tough it is, how tough it hurts, how stank it smells."

Veteran linebacker London Fletcher echoed Moss.

"It doesn't feel good playing for pride," he said. "We have four games left. We've got to find a way to get it done."

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) is sacked by New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck (91) during the second half at FedEx Field. The Giants won 24 - 17. (Photo: Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) tries to break free from the hold of St. Louis Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson (22) after making a catch in the third quarter at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Rams 23-13. (Photo: Cary Edmondson, USA TODAY Sports)

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Anthony Fasano (80) catches a pass for a touchdown as Denver Broncos strong safety Mike Adams (20) defends during the first half of the game at Arrowhead Stadium. (Photo: Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports)

A group of Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans look up after a Adam Vinatieri field goal goes through the uprights during first half action at Lucas Oil Stadium. (Photo: Thomas J. Russo, USA TODAY Sports)

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski spikes the football after a touchdown reception in the first quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. (Photo: Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)

Cleveland Browns running back Willis McGahee (26) dives into the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at FirstEnergy Stadium. (Photo: Andrew Weber, USA TODAY Sports)